This review focuses on the influence of oxidized phosphatidylcholines (oxPCs) on the
biophysical properties of model membranes and is limited to fluorescence, EPR, and MD 
studies. OxPCs are divided into three classes: A) sn-2 hydroxy- or hydroperoxy-dieonyl 
phospatidylcholines, B) phospatidylcholines with oxidized and truncated sn-2 chain with 
either aldehyde or carboxylic group, and C) in silico studied phospatidylcholines with 
truncated sn-1 or both sn-1 and sn-2 chains. It was shown that the presence of the 
investigated oxPCs in phospholipid model membranes may have the following consequences: 
1) decrease of the lipid order, 2) lowering of phase transition temperatures, 3) lateral 
expansion and thinning of the bilayer, 4) alterations of bilayer hydration profiles, 
5) increased lipid mobility, 6) augmented flip-flop, 7) influence on the lateral phase 
organisation, and 8) promotion of water defects and, under extreme conditions (i.e.high 
concentrations of class B and C oxPCs), disintegration of the bilayer. The effects of 
class A oxPCs appear to be more moderate than those observed or predicted for class B 
and C. Many of the above mentioned findings are related to the ability of the oxidized 
chains of certain oxPCs to reorient toward the water phase. Some of the effects appear 
to be moderated by the presence of cholesterol. Although those biophysical alternations 
are found at oxPC concentrations higher than the total oxPC concentrations found under 
physiological conditions, certain organelles may reach such elevated oxPC concentrations 
locally. It is a challenge for the future to correlate the biophysics of oxidized 
phospholipids to metabolic studies in order to define the significance of the findings 
presented herein for pathophysiology.